The Dillon tribune., 1887-08-26
Ehe 1hlo, !Lribune.
THE OPIUM FARMER.
The Wretched Hinlo0 Who Re eluius
Poor, with Wealth Withtu His Grasp.

XVVtS WIN p" c0stu WIZ SsuS "E5Spe
"1he opium farmer Of 1ndi, lives and
abors with but three objects in view.
These are, first, to decorate his wife pro-
fusely with ornaments, to cat Oft brass
plate, and to be in a position to make .
great display when his eldest son is mar
riesl. As far az the wife's jewelry Is
concerned, that Is q matter Of religious
duty, tho Hindoo religion demanding
that certain ornaments must bc worn by
married women, and the real wealth, II
wealth it may bc called, of the native
landowner il his wife's jewels. and what
over n huslandman can gain by his pop
py culture ho Immediately invests in
jewely, the Same as tn, Yankee farmer
places his money in bond and mortgage.
II the Indian farmer on marrying cannot
do my better in the way of jcwelry, he
must give the bride he obtains lead OF.
naments. This keeps the religious form,
but tho very first year he has been ener.
getic enough to raise good opium crop
the Lad jewclry gives place TO silver Of
gold. Ou the marriage Of his oldest son
an Indian farmer will waste in a weeks
jolli6cation the entire savings of years Of
privation.
ut Is strange sight to sec the Hindoo
women at work in the fields, gathering
PUPPY juice or picking weeds, decked out
with hugo gold rings, bracelets. anklets
and chains, and wearing but single
short petticoat and gay colorel wrap Of
light texture. Tho wants Of tho Indian
raiat, az the farmer is called, are very
few and simple. A tfatched roof, cover
ing four confined mud walls. shelters him,
and there are families who have lived for
hundreds Of years, generation after gen
Grafton, in the Same hovel like home
stead. The farmers suit OF every day
working clothes il q very scant cloth
fastened about his loins. His dress up
suit Is big cotton sheet folded about
him. His entire family, from himself
down to the smallest child he owns, that
is not too small TO crawl about among
tho poppy plants and know the difference
between a weed and poppy, share in the
toll of the field. Tho small children arc
clothed just Us they came into the world,
and appear comfortable, no matter how
hot tho sun shines or how low the tenn
peraturc may fall-and in November,
December, january and February, when
the bulk Of tho field work Is done, the
weather is quite cold enough for ut least
summer clothing.
"Thesc happy 10 lucky tillcrs Of the
soil depend entirely on tho government
to keep them going year after year in tho
matter of farming. Thus the govern
ment advances the poppy seed that is to
be sown. loans the money by which, the
land is irrigated and tho hullocks pur-
chased to carry on the work. The cul-
tivator will not till moro of his land than
hc can manage without other help than
his own immediate family, and, conso-
quently. patch leased to any one farmer
that Is half IN acre in extent is an excep-
tonally large holding. The one-twentieth
OF an acre, called a bigka, is the fayorite
quantity Of land for u farmer to seed
down with poppies but le will put in .
tenth or u sixth ON pinch. There are
untold advantages in tho growing Of
opium for extended enterprise, but tho
RANT will not eSpend the smallest Indian
coin to acquire these advantages, aud
with it great gain, for the profit in opium
production ia large, owing to the policy
OF the government in paying large prices
Tor tho product as means of precluding
illicit traffic in it.
The farmers themselves have no direct
intercourse with the government. Each
village u opium growers select come
native ns their representative " agent
with tho authorities. Hc is called tho
lambartlar. 1t il his business to give cs-
Inmates to tho government agents US to
tho probable yield Of the farms he repre-
scnts, on which the loans and advances
may be basc.l. he manages every trans.
action between the government and tho
farmers. and for his services he gets a
commission on MI the opium hc causes to
bc delivered to what are known as the
weighing stations, points where tho pro-
duct OF certain districts is carried BY the
growers and turned over to the agents.
''Thc opium gathering begins d Janu.
ary or February. The poppy flowers
have then given way to the seed pods,
which arc lanccd in tho afternoon. Tho
thick gum. tho opium, ex,,,l,:s from the
cut nladc III tho pod. and at daylight the
next morning the entire family of a
raiat are astir in tho fields. scrapinc tho
opium from, the pods, tho incisions being
carefully closed again, by rubbing tho
finger sharply up and down on the cuts,
which Clues thcm. If carefully treated
tho pods will expand literally to nix
lancings. Tho opium il at first placed in
brass vessels. and tho dew that may adj
here to it is drained off. Then it il
kneaded like dough until it il at the |
proper consistency, wless it is packed in
new carthern jars and is ready to be car
ried TO tho weighing stations.
''Ihc order to fetch in tlm years crop
OF opium Is generally given early in April.
and that Is the most Interesting season of |
tho year 10 the raiat and his family. Each |
farmer Is notified that on certain dav he |
must be at tho weighing station If his !
district for the testing unti weighing. An